Why this song?

I learned this song, known as the “Black National Anthem”, from my African American neighbors in New Orleans when I was just waking up to the entrenched legacy of slavery in my state. The words in the hymn are saturated with suffering but also deep resilience and resistance.

Stony the road we’ve trod,Bitter the chastening rod,Yet with a steady beatHave not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

- Sister Helen

Submit a song!

This playlist is a collaborative effort, so your input is not only welcome but vital! Please share a song with us. We're looking for:

music that reminds us what we’re struggling for;

music that reminds us of why it’s worth the struggle;

music that strengthens us when we need to be brave; that lifts up up when we’re feeling lost or helpless; that reminds us of our own power; that connects us through our common humanity;